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(No Model.) J DIAMOND 3 sheets-sheet 2. BICYCLE.

No. 473,829. Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

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BICYCLE. N0. 473,829. Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

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Nrrnn STATES JAMES DIAMOND, OF ASTON, NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ASSIGNOR TO RICHARD EDMUND KING, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

B l C Y C L E SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,829, dated April 26, 1892.

Application filed November 1ll 1891. Serial No. 411,562. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: however, the Wheel passes over an obstacle, Be itknown that I, JAMES DIAMOND, a subthe said block is suddenly raised; but its risject of the Queen of Great Britain,residin g at ing motion is not communicated to the fork Aston, near Birmingham, England, have inand body of the bicycle, as the spring by 55 5 vented certain new and usefulImprovemcnts which the block is pressed down yields moin Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes mentarily, and the shock Which .would otherand Vheel-Oarriages; andldo hereby declare Wise be communicated to the rider is Wholly that the following is afull, clear, and exact deor in great part deadened. By a similar acscription of the invention, Which Will enable tion the tremulous motion Which a rough road 6o Io others skilled in the art to which it apper- Would give to the rider is prevented.

tains to make and use the same. In order to give freedom and smoothness of My invention has for its object to destroy motion to the block to which the end of the or lessen the vibratory or tremulous motion axle is fixed, the vertical sides of the -frame produced in bicycles, tricycles, and other vein which the block Works are provided With 6 15 locipedes and wheel-carriages by obstacles or anti-friction balls, againstwhich the said block asperities in the roads over ivhichtheytravel. bears during its rising and falling motion. My invention is especially applicable to bi- These balls are held in position by undercut cycles, tricycles,and other velocipedes, bntis holders insertedin the rectangular frame. By also applicable to Wheel-carriages. means of set-screws these holders can be ao- 7o 2o By the use of my invention the cushion and curately adjusted; or the sliding block may pneumatic tires and the spring mechanism carry rollers which bear against the sides of commonly employed between the frame and the frame.

the saddle of the velocipede for deadening vi- The arrangement of parts described is apbration may be dispensed with; but my inplied to the back or driving Wheel as Well as 75 25 vention maybeusedinconjunctionvvitheither to the front steering-wheel, and may be apor' the said tires and spring mechanism. plied to any of the Wheels of different kinds I will describe my invention as applied to of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes a Safety bicycle havingafront steering-Wheel. and wheel-carriages the tremulous motion of Instead of connecting the body of the bicycle which it is desired to deaden. 8o 3o to the axle of the front steering-Wheel in the I will now proceed to describe with referordinary Way, I effect the said connection in ence to the accompanying drawings the` manthe following manner: To each branch of the ner in Which my invention is to be performed. fork, I attach a rectangular frame, in which Figure l represents in side elevation, and frame a block slides vertically. This block Fig. 2 in end elevation, a Safety bicycle hav- 85 3 5 is fixed on the end of the axle on which the ing afront steering-Wheel, the said bicycle behub of the steering-Wheel turns. The said ing provided with mechanism constructed and block has at top a vertical rod terminating in arranged according to my invention for dead a disk or piston sliding in a tube or hollow ening or lessening vibration and shocks durcylinder surmounting the rectangular frame ing the traveling of the vehicle. Fig. 3 rep- 9c 4o carried by the fork and formed distinct from resents in side elevation, and Fig. 4l in vertical and independent of the fork or frame of the section,the anti-vibration mechanism situated bicycle, so that such ltube or hollow cylinder at each end of the axles of the Wheels drawn 1 can be removed and replaced Without disto alarger scale; and Fig.5 represents, partly turbing the fork or frame. A strong coiled in end elevation and partly in vertical section, 95 45 spring situated in the said tube or cylinder a portion of one of the Wheels, its axle, and bears at top against the closed top of the cylthe anti-vibration mechanism at each end of inder and at bottom on the piston described. the axle of 'the Wheel, the sectional part of The said spring tends to keep the block to Fig. 5 being taken in a plane at right angles y which the end of the axle is aftixed at the to that in which the section Fig. Il is taken. roo 5o bottom of the rectangular frame in which it Figs. 6 and 6A represent the sliding block, its slides, and this is its normal position. iVlien, rod, and disk or piston detached, drawn to the same scale as Figs. 3, 4f, and 5. Fig. 7 represents in section, and Fig. 8 in plan, an arrangement for preserving the vertical motion of the piston-rod.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

c is the steering-Wheel, and b the drivingwheel, of the Safety bicycle.

a2 is the fork supporting the steering-Wheel a, and b2 is the fork supporting the drivingwheel b. Each of the branches of the supporting-forks at the side of the Wheel carries a rectangular frame c, in which a block d slides vertically, the said frame and its contents being covered by the cap c2, secured in its place by screws.

e is the hub of the wheel, and f the fixed axle of the same, on which it turns. On each end of the said fixed axle f a sliding block cl is fixed, so that as the Wheel rises and falls on passing over obstructions in the road the blocks d d similarly rise and fall in their frames c c. l

cl2 is a vertical rodA connected to the top of the sliding block d, the said rod passing through a hole in the top of theframe c and terminating in the disk or piston cl3, sliding in the tube or hollow cylinder g, surmounting and screwed to the frame c. By this construction each tube or hollow cylinder g is distinct from and independent of the fork or frame of the bicycle, and consequently the tube can be removed and replaced without disturbing the fork or bicycle-frame. In the said tube or cylinder g is a strong coiled spring h, which bears at top against the closed top of the cylinder g and at bottom on the piston or disk cl3. By means of the spring h the sliding block d is pressed down nearly to the bottom of its frame, which position is its normal position. When,however, the rider mounts the bicycle, his weight carries down the frames c and cylinders g, and the coiled springs h are consequently compressed.

For giving smoothness of motion to the sliding block d in its frame-c it is provided with rollers, as represented, which rollers slightly project from its vertical edges and bear against the adjustable plates c8 at the sides of the frame c; or the block d in its motion may bear against anti-friction balls placed in holders secured to the vertical sides of the frame c. I prefer, however, to use the arrangement of parts represented.

For the purpose of insuring the accurate vertical motion of the piston-rod d it may bear against adjustable rollers at the top of the frame, as represented in section in Fig. 7 and a plan of under side in Fig. 8, where the rollers are marked 7l. These rollers turn in and are carried by the boxes 7c, which are adj ustable and work in the guiding-frame l, fixed to or made in one piece with either-the bottom of the cylinder g or top of the frame c. The boxes 7c, carrying the rollers, are adjustable by the set-screws m m.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanying drawings it will be understood that when the wheels of the bicycle, to which my invention is applied, pass over an obstacle in the road the blocks on the axles of the wheels are suddenly raised; but their rising motion is not communicated to the forks and body of the bicycle, as the springs h h, by which the blocks are pressed down, yield momentarily, and theshock which would otherwise be communicated to the rider is wholly or in great part deadened. The same action prevents the tremulus motion communicated to the wheels on passing over a rough road from being transmitted to the body of the vehicle.

Although I have described and prefer to use coiled-steel springs for the purpose of taking up or deadening the tremulus motion of the wheels, yet I do not limit myself to the use of that kind of springs, as springs of other kinds may be used with the same or nearly the same effect.

The improvements described and shown may be applied to velocipedes generally and to wheel-carriages. In applying my invention to wheel-carriages the frames in which the sliding blocks work are secured to the sides or fixed body of the carriage instead of being carried by the forks of the frame, as in the case of velocipedes.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my invention- I. The combination, with the fork of a bicycle having frames c, of tubes or hollow cylinders g, formed distinct from and independent of the frames and detachably mounted thereupon, the axle f, the blocks d, fixed on the end of the axle, sliding vertically in the frames, and each provided with a rod d2, having a pist-on d3, located in one of the tubes or cylinders, and a spring h, arranged in each tube or cylinder and acting on the piston therein, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the fork of a bicycle having frames c, of tubes or cylinders g, mounted on the frames, the adjustable plates c3, arranged in the frames, the axle f, the blocks d, provided with rollers bearing against the adjustable plates, the rods d2, secured to the blocks and provided at their upper ends with pistons d3, arranged in the tubes or cylinders, and the springs h, located in the tubes or cylinders and acting on the pistons, substantially as described.

JAMES DIAMOND. [1.. s]

Vitnesses:

GEORGE SHAW, RICHARD SKERRETT.

IIO 

